Fog nozzle



May 1o, 1938. T. R. DAY 2,116,879

FOG NOZZLE `Filed Aug. 24. 1956 AT TOR N EYS Patented May 1Q, 1938 UNITED. STATES,

PATENT ori-ICE Foe Nozzm Thomas n, my, amai, N. y,

Application August 24, 1936, Serial No. 07,587 7 claims. (Ci. zas-1:4)

10 cases in subduing the nre than would be the discharge of substantial streams of water against the same burning material. It is well recognized that when a given body of water inthe form of a solid stream, is broken up into a plurality of small particles, the effective or total surface of the Water in contact 'with the re or heat is inl creased, that is, the surface area of the water exposed to the fire is increased. When water in this extremely line fog form comes in contact with the re, it is changed into steam and its volume is multiplied 1700 times, since the steam represents approximately 1700 times the volume of water applied.

It is apparent, therefore, that through the 25 process of breaking up and being transformed into steam, the heat absorbing and cooling qualities of a given volume of water are increased to the maximum possible extent. The water discharged in such fine form extinguishes the fire by absorbing the heat of the fire and at the same time cooling the combustible material below the kindling point, and in the process of absorbing heat, steam is generated in the space between the re and the burning material, thereby ex- 35 cluding oxygen, so that there is also a smother-ing action at the same time. Ihe water in this form does not disturb the surface of any burning substance, such as oil for example, as does a solid stream of water or other fluids. l o In order to break up the water into a fine spray, it is necessary to discharge the stream oi water through one or more restricted passages or oriilces, and if these orices or passages should bein Figs. 1 to 3. the improved device includes a come clogged or plugged through the lodging 45 therein of foreign matter, the effectiveness of the nozzle as a spraying device may be greatly decreased or its eectiveness. entirelyA lost, and

` hence it is important that some provision be made for cleaning any plugged spray-creatingpassages 50 or orices without shutting olf the water to the nozzle for the cleaning operation. It is also desirable that the same nozzle be capable of throwing a stream 'in the form of a fog, or as a stream of more or less solidarity, so that whenever condition require the use of a, water fog. the noule may be set to create the fog, and when a substantial stream of water is desired, the nozzle may be set to discharge such a stream.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved and simplified nozzle with which a water fog may be created, and which if plugged with foreign matter may be easily and quickly cleaned without shutting ofi the supply of water to the nozzle, and which will be relatively simple, compact, durable, eiiicient and inexpensive. 10

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved spraying nozzle which may be set selectively to discharge a stream of substantial body or to discharge a water fog of diiferent degrees of fineness, with which the adjustment for 15 the type of stream desired may be quickly and easily made while the discharge of water con` tinues, and which may be manipulated and adjusted to deliver the water in the desired form or condition while in use by a single operator.

Another object of 'the invention is to provide an improved and more eillcient spraying nozzle for creating a water fog, with which the danger of blockingor plugging is decreased, and which` may be quickly and easily cleaned of foreign matter while in operation.

Various other objectsand advantages will be apparent from the following description of two embodiments of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter yin connection with the appended'clalms.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spraying nozzle constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrating one embodiment thereof; 35

Fig. 2-is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same:

`lllg.Sisaplanofthesame; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation through a nozzle constructed in accordance with 40 this invention and illustrating a modification thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated nomic body l! having a passage Il therethrough from end to end. The passage ll may have a pmlesslvely constrfcted zone or portion l2, as

II at the seat I5, so that when the ball I5 'abuts the seat I5, abortion of the surface of the sphere, which may be considerd as a tapering zone, will project through the seat intothe passage II and act as a guide for directing the ball or sphere v IB into seating position. The outerwall ofthe groove I4 extends toward and faces the surface of the ball, and when the ball is resting on the seat I5 there is only a very slight clearance between the periphery of .the ball and the outer Y wall of the groove I4.

suitable means is provided 'for limiting the displacement of the valve element, i. e., the ball or sphere I6, outwardly from the seat I5, and this means is preferably adjustable from outside of the stream of liquid discharged through the space between the ball periphery and the seat I5. A

- simple and preferred form of such a confining ring I1 along the nozzle body.

Thus by turning the ring I1 in one directionmeans comprises a ring I1 which is threaded upon the periphery of the body I0, such as adjacent the discharge end thereof, so that when the ring I1 is turned it will be threaded endwise along the nozzle in one direction or another, dependent upon the direction of turning. Arcuate cage elements or .-wires I8 extend from opposite sides of th ring I1 across the discharge end of the passage II of said body, so as to form cag'e which confines the valve element such as the ball or sphere I8 to the discharge end of the nomle, and limits its possible displacement away from the seat I5 to an extent determined by the threaded adjustment of the the ball` or sphere I5 may be forced against the outwardly facing seat I5 so as to shut o or stop the discharge of all liquid-from the nozzle. By

turning the ring I1 in the other direction the Y ball or sphere I 6 is released and increasing displacement of the same away fromthe seat permits the discharge therethrough Vof a tubular, diverging stream of liquid having `afwall thick- DESS depending upon the extent of displacement of the ball or sphereuli from the seat I5. When the ball or sphere I6 is onlyfslghtly displaced from the seat the amount of liquid discharged Y is of course-small, and the hollowV stream of liquid as a wall thickness equal t0 the distance from the seat I5 to the surface of the sphere or ball. As a result,this thin walled. diverging, hollow stream of .liquid is broken up into a iine spray, and this action is increased by reason of the fact that the outer wall of the groove. I4 acts as a deiiector to the outwardly 'spreading stream, to divert or dieect` a substantial portion of it against the face of the ball,

thereby forming a very ne, mist-likespray.

'I'he breaking up of the liquid into the fine spray is also increasedL to some extent by' the provision of a plurality of peripherally extending grooves I9 in the Vwall of the e-II immediatelyin front of the seat I5, the grooves :preferably having abruptshoulders facing the moving Suchshoulders increase the formation of 'eddy currents in the peripheral zonef of"irliefstreamY moving along the passage,

2,1 more and thus increase the tendency of the tubular Vstream leaving the nozzle to ldisintegrate into iine particles. The periphery .of thering I1 may be provided with knurling 20 to facilitate the threading of the ring along the nozzle body. By threading the ring further towards the discharge end, and allowing considerable displacement of the ball or sphere from the seat I5, a diverging stream of considerable volume can be provided when occasion for aconsiderable volume of water in the stream is present.

t Any foreign matter that may have collected in the small annular space between the seat I5 and the surface of the ball or sphere when the nozzle is.being used as a fog creating device, is immediately carried away and discharged when vthe ring I1 is moved so as to permit a considerable displacement of the ball or sphere from its seat. Thus if' the nozzle, when set to create a ter to any extent, it may be Vmanipulated to clear such foreign matter merely by first turning the .ring I1 to increase the maximum possible displacement of the sphere from its seat while the nozzle is in use, and' then again turning the ringV y that shownin Figs. 1 to 3 except that the valve element 2| instead of having the form of a ball or sphere is provided with a conical surface,

which seats against the seat I5 in thesame manner that the ball I6 engaged with seat I5,v

with the tapering end of the cone projecting into the passage of the nozzle. This element 2l has its conical surface extending 'in both directions along the passage from the seat to a substantial extent, and the character of its upper surface is immaterial, although for convenience it is shown A as a portion of a sphere in order to accommodate itself readily to the arcuate wires forming the cage that confines it to the nozzle body. In this embodiment of the invention, the grooves I9 of the passage have been omitted, although'it will be 'understood that they may be provided as in Figs. 1 to 3 if desired.

The operation and use of the improved nozzle have been explained as the description has proceeded, and are believed to be clear. It will be Vnoted that the nozzle may be easily andl quickly 'be set to throw a stream of considerable size and body whenever desired. Any plugging or A stoppage of the nozzle byforeign matter while being used as aV fog-creating device may be quickly and easily remedied and the nozzle cleared of such foreign matter, merely by turningA ring I1 to open the nozzle and increase theflow of water therethrough and then decreasing itv to a spray creating condition. Thus, I have av nozzle which possesses`all the advantages of a fog creating nozzle, and also of the ordinary l nozzle for throwing a stream of considerable volume or size, as conditions may require or make advisable, and with this improved device any substitution of nozzles on the end of -the hose or pipe becomesunnece'ssary.

Fog nozzles made in accordance with this lnforms a curtain or screen between the reman and the fire which protects the ilreman not only from the heat of the re but also from the smoke. The protection from the heat is, of course, due to the fact that the nely divided water particles readily become vaporized and thus absorb the heat, and protection from smoke is probably due both to the dissolving of smoke in the finely divided water particles and to the blowing away of the smoke by the spray of fog. It has. consequently, been found that with the use of these nozzles, remen can approach into very close proximity to iires without danger of being overcome or even inconvenienced by smoke or heat, and the use of gas masks-in the case of smoky iires is, consequently unnecessary in most cases when my improved fog nozzles are used. Consequently, by using the spray oi' fog as a screen, a fireman can also enter into a burning. building with greatly reduced danger of being overcome by smoke. My improved fog nozzles have also been found very eifectivein extinguishing grass fires by means of fog.

'I'he fog from the nozzles can also be used to excellent advantage in coniined-v or partly conned tires in that such fires' can be, readily smothered by the fog` and steam resulting therefrom. When fires in buildings are extinguished by means of fog, the damage due to water is very materially reduced, and sometimes entirely avoided.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

l. A spraying nozzle comprising a body having a passage therethrough, with an-outwardly facing seat adjacent the discharge end of said passage, a spray creating element abutting said seat from the-outer end of the passage-and having a portion on each side of the seat engaging zone progressively decreasing in transverse dimensions, l

means carried by said body for confining said element to the end of said passage in close proximity to said seat, the wall of said passage outwardly from said seat having an annular shoulder 'of larger diameter than said seat and facing said element for diverting a portion of a liquid lstream escaping from said passage through the v space between said seat and said element, against the peripheral face of said element to increase the break up of the stream into small particles.

2. A spraying nozzlelcomprising a body having a passagetherethrough with an outwardly facing seat' adjacent the discharge end 'of lsaid passage, a spray creating element at said end, abutting said seat, and having a tapering portion extending into said passage' from said seatand a. di-y verging portion extending outwardly irom said .v

some extent by said groove against the diverging surface of said element and will be broken up into al tine spray. l

3. A spraying nozzle comprising a body having fa passage therethrough with an outwardly facing seat adjacent the discharge end of said passage, a spray creating element at said end, abutting said seat, and having a tapering portion extending into said passage from said seat' and a diverging portion extending outwardly from said seat, and means carried by said body and kengageable with said element for limiting the maximum outward movement of said element when a stream of` liquid is dischargedI from said passage rounded by an annular groove of larger diameter, a ring threaded to the periphery of said body for adjustment in directions endwise of the body, `a cage element carried lby said ring and extending across the discharge end oi' said passage. a closure elementA conned in the discharge end of said passage by said cage element and having a tapered peripheral surface engageable ,with said seat for controlling the liquid discharge from said passage, the adjustment oi said ring obtained by threading it along said body forcing said cage element along said body in order to shut off all ow, or to release said cage element for increasing possible displacement outwardly of said passage, depending upon the direction of turning of said ring.

5. A spraying nozzle comprising a body having a passage therethrough from` end to end, and

having a shallow, radially and outwardly opening, annular groove with abrupt shoulders and formin g a slight enlargement of said passage at its discharge end, an element ,disposed against the vend of saidbody at said discharge end of. the

passage and ngageable with the seat formed at thec smaller periphery of said groove, a ring mounted `on the periphery of said body for adjustment thereon in directions-endwise of said body, and a cage element carried'by said ring and extending across the discharge end of said passage for confining said `element to the discharge end of said passage and limiting its maxi-L mum possible displacement away from said seat.

6. A spraying nozzle comprising a body having passage therethrough from end to end, with an outwardly-facing seat at approximately the discharge end ot said passage, an inwardly tapering element disposed insaiddischarge end and seating against said seat, the end oi said passage outwardly from said seat having a sharp. annular shoulder facing said element for diverting against the periphery of said element a portion of any` liquid stream passing through said seat and between vit and said element and thereby creating tial, said passage having an outwardly facing, an- 7g 4 l ana-eva A vsaid passage, having a converging portion extending past said seat into said e in a counterow direction, and having a diverging portion extending outwardly from said seat in the direction of iow, the outer wall of said groove extending towards and into close proximity to said element for increasing the break up of the discharged stream, and means engaging said element ior limiting the movement of said element outwardly away from said seat and adjustable to 5 vvary the extent ofv such outward `movement of said element. Y

THOMAS R. DAY. 

